Shoe fitting device



Aug. 16, 1960 G. BARCENA 2,948,964

SHOE FITTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14, 1959 6 z 38 28 F- /4 l I""J ""Q""" QL 6 INVENTOR.

I76. 5 QYU/LLEQAM fiAeczA/A Arne/v5 Y SHOE FITTING DEVICE GuillermoBarcena, 2318 Tremont, El Paso, Tex. Filed Oct. 14, 1959, Ser. No.846,438

1 Claim. (Cl. 33 -3) This invention relates to a shoe fitting device,and has for an object to provide a combination foot measuring device andan integrally extending shoe horn, wherein the shoe horn provides aconvenient handle when using the foot measuring device, and vice versa,wherein the shoe measuring device provides a convenient handle whenusing the shoe born.

A further object of this invention is to provide a shoe fitting deviceespecially convenient for the use of shoe salesmen to simplify theirtask of providing a shoe measuring device and a shoe born by providing asingle instrument which will readily serve both purposes, and whereineach part of the device provides a handle for the other part of thedevice, thereby providing a time saving and a money saving device forshoe salesmen and shoe retailers, which device may be made of manysuitable materials at low cost.

In brief, this device consists of a foot measuring tape which isself-contracting and is coiled within and anchored at one end within acasing, the other end of the tape extending through an aperture on oneside of the casing, with a heel support arm secured to the extending endof the tape for withdrawing the tape and measuring the foot, a shoe hornextending integrally from the other side of the casing and acting as ahandle when using the tape, the casing acting as a handle when using theshoe horn.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists inthe details of construction and combination of parts, as will be morefully understood from the following description, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the shoe fitting device of this invention,the heel support arm being shown in dash line in partly extendedposition.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the partly extending tape measure and afragment of the casing.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts, there is shown at 10 the shoe fittingdevice of this invention. This device includes a casing 12 housing afoot measuring coil tape 14, preferably of the self-contracting type,which needs no spring, but which extends from one side of the casing. Asuitably shaped shoe born 16 integrally extends from a side of thecasing 12 opposite to the side from which the tape 14 is extended.

The casing 12 and the shoe horn 16 will be made of any suitable low costmaterial, such as sheet metal or high impact sheet plastic. The casingcomprises a base side 18 from the two opposite edges of which extendupwardly extending side portions 20 and 22. The shoe horn 16 extendsintegrally from one end of the base side 18, and from the opposite endof the base side 18, a cover side 24 extends upwardly over and down tothe shoe horn end of base side 18. This cover side 24 has an aperture at26, this aperture 26 being shaped to permit the tape 14 to extend andretract therethrough. Externally of the casing 12, the external end oftape 14 has secured thereto an upstanding heel support arm 28.

The upper surface of the tape is provided with foot measuring indicia 30measured from the heel support arm 28 toward the casing :12. Additionalmeasuring such as at 32 may also be provided along the other edge of thetape, and if desired still other measuring indicia may be provided onthe reverse or under side of tape 14.

The other end 34 of tape 14 is anchored at 36 within the casing 12between the side portions 20 and 22 and is coiled within the casing 12between the anchored end 34 and the aperture 26. A casing support screwand sleeve nut 38 extends centrally between the side portions 20 and 22securing the side portions together, and also providing a limiting meansfor the coil of tape within the casing to contract as the heel supportarm end is extended for use in measuring, the shoe horn 1'6 acting as ahandle while the tape is being used.

When the tape 14 is retracted within the casing 12, by merely pushing itinto the casing, the casing 12 provides a handle for the shoe born foruse in putting a shoe onto a foot. Thus, a shoe salesman holds the shoehorn 16 as a handle when using the tape to measure the foot, and then,when fitting the shoe on the foot, he uses the casing 12, with the taperetracted therewithin, as a handle for the shoe horn. He keeps thedevice in his pocket when not in use, with the assurance that he hasboth a shoe measure and a shoe horn always available for use with hisshoe customer.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

A shoe fitting device comprising a shoe measuring selfcontracting tape,a tape casing and a shoe horn integrally extending from a part of saidcasing, said tape casing comprising a housing formed of a single pieceof sheet material, said shoe measuring tape being coiled within saidhousing and having one end thereof anchored within said housing, saidhousing having a tape dispensing aperture at one side thereof, the otherend of said tape extending through said aperture, a heel support armsecured on said extending tape end exteriorly of said housing, said shoehorn integrally extending from the side of said housing opposite to saidtape aperture side, said shoe horn providing a handle for said tapecasing when said shoe measuring tape is extended for use, said tapecasing providing a handle for said shoe horn for shoe horn use when saidtape is contracted within said casing, said housing comprising a base,said shoe horn extending integrally from one end of said base, the otherend of said base extending integrally upwardly, curving toward said shoehorn end and extending downwardly to said Patented Aug. 16, 1960- ofsaid housing, said heel support arm preventing the entrance of saidextending tape end into said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS CortSept. 23, 1902 Remington June 18, 1912 Clarke Sept. 12, 1933

